Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site lead to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world.

In this installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with Matt McCoy, the renowned sports director at 610 WTVN (AM) in Columbus. They got together just prior to a recent on-air session of  “Bucksline” along with WTVN basketball analyst Tony White.

Rapp and McCoy threw out a rather simple topic: How good is this Ohio State men’s basketball team? At the time of their discussion, the Buckeyes were sitting at 17-3 overall and had just moved up to fourth in The Associated Press poll. After a blowout of Nebraska over the weekend they were eyeing a pair of home games with Penn State and Michigan.

A former OSU swim team captain, McCoy has been covering Ohio State basketball for basically two decades and also serves as the PA announcer for home games at the Schottenstein Center. He was there when the Buckeyes made Final Four runs in 1999 and 2007 and he was there for the lean years as well.

We pick up their conversation at the WTVN studios on Jan. 23:
    
Rapp: What are they, 5-2 (in the Big Ten)?

McCoy: Yeah, they’re tied with Michigan and Michigan State right now.

Rapp: I still think they’re the elite team in the conference, but I don’t know if you see it that way.

McCoy: Well, if you look statistically at them, they are. They’re leading in scoring margin, they’re leading in rebounding, they’re leading in defense, they’re leading in offense in conference games. When they win, they win huge. My concern is with the game that are coming up in February they’ve got some tough road games – Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, just to name a few.

When they win, they win big. Basically they’ve had two close games that with three minutes left were either team’s game. The Kansas game was of like that, but Kansas kind of was in control of that game. But the two games that have been up in the air that they could win or lose, Indiana and Illinois, they’ve lost them both. And they’re going to see a lot more of those games down the stretch. And that’s my concern.

Do I think they’re the best team? Yeah. But they’re missing a toughness that last year’s team and a lot of Thad Matta’s teams have had that make me question whether they can do it.

Rapp: Well, for whatever reason, I don’t think they’re going to have a bad loss, whatever that is. I don’t know if at Northwestern would be a bad loss. They do play there.

But you’re right. They’re going to have to eke out one of these tough games. I can’t help but think this whole thing is going to go down to at Michigan State at the end of the year …

McCoy: I do, too.

Rapp: … and you better have already won one that you had to gut out on the road against a good team if you think you’re going to win that game with those kinds of stakes at the Izzone.

McCoy: I do, too. They finish the last week, I think, at Northwestern and at Michigan State. And you know, Northwestern, yeah, that’s a game they should win easily but that’s always a funky kind of place.

Rapp: Oh, they never win that easily there.

McCoy: And then obviously with everything on the line … I agree with you. As soon as I looked at the schedule, I went, “Boy, that could be big,” and I remember I was thinking for Ohio State’s sake I hope they have it wrapped up by then, because that would be a very difficult place to win a league title. So they’re got to do it somewhere along the line here. They’ve got to win at Michigan or they’ve got to win at Wisconsin or something like that – or both.

What the league is probably going to come down to is who gets the biggest road win. The contenders are holding serve at home. Somebody’s got to get a marquee road win. Michigan State could one-up Ohio State if they go to Indiana and win. Ohio State couldn’t do that. Or go to Illinois and win. Somebody has got to get one or two marquee road wins, and that’s probably going to be the separator.

Rapp: In a way, Michigan State already did (by) winning at Wisconsin.

McCoy: Yes.

Rapp: Just think that the Big Ten title could go down to a three that was waived off the board. This is why we love it, though, because as Thad would say, it’s a journey. But I don’t know if it would take that many marquee road wins. Four or five losses might win this league.

McCoy: It’s true. And I should say besides a marquee road win is avoiding a bad loss, i.e. Indiana probably shot themselves in the foot by losing … you can’t lose at Nebraska. They did.

Rapp: No, that cannot happen.

McCoy: So some of those things happen. Illinois lost at Penn State when you thought Illinois might be a contender. Those you can’t have, either.

Rapp: The Indiana loss at Nebraska is OK, though, because I’m sure (Tom) Crean talked to his team for two hours after the game. So they’ll be fine. Because that worked out so well after the Ohio State game.

McCoy: Um, yeah. I think talent-wise, they’re the best team. I just have questions whether they’re tough enough or they have that other ingredient that can lead them to a Big Ten title.

Rapp: At this mark it’s not quite February but don’t you think Thad has got to pretty much know his rotation leading into February, especially with the schedule they’ve got ahead?

McCoy: Yeah. I think we’re starting to see goodbye to Jordan Sibert. I think we’re starting to see that Sam Thompson might be getting some of those minutes behind Lenzelle (Smith). Yeah, I think so. If you’re going to make a claim … if you’re Jordan Sibert and you want to have a chance to impact the rotation, when you get called on you better perform or you better do something in practice, because I think he’s losing his minutes.

Rapp: So LaQuinton Ross is not going to be in the starting lineup next week, you don’t think?

(Both laugh.)

McCoy: No. Despite the clamoring from some fans and e-mailers, no, I don’t think so.

Rapp: Despite a national reporter saying that might happen when he became eligible.

McCoy: Who said that?

Rapp: (Jeff) Goodman or one of those guys at CBSSports.com. What else? It’s not like this is a great rebounding team.

McCoy: What’s funny, though, is they’re leading the Big Ten in rebounding.

Rapp: (laughing) Are they?

McCoy: Yes. I thought the same thing. Obviously if Jared (Sullinger) is healthy and playing well, that helps a great deal. Deshaun (Thomas) is kind of a tricky rebounder, a good offensive rebounder.

Rapp: Man, they don’t have many guys who more than five or six in a game, ever.

McCoy: No. It’s going to be interesting to see how they hold up.